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13 February 1912 — Cairo | |
Tuesday. 13th [February 1912]. Sir Henry & Lady Knollys came to luncheon. He is a funny looking old man rather deaf & talks in jerks. He sat between me & Sir Fred—and shouted at him. It was curious having 3 deaf people at table together, I called it the deaf brigade—tho’ Eda’s deafness is already improved by her “cure” here. Sir Henry happened to talk abt Napoleon’s irritability at St Helena & how he condescended to quarrel on trivial subjects while there. Lord K. observed that it was to be understood by the fact that Napoleon’s great gift was his love of detail—& that when he was cut off from big things—the love of detail remained alone. I could not help thinking that the power of entering into detail was one of the secrets of Lord K’s strength. Lady Knollys is much younger than her husband & rather pretty but not very attractive. At 3.30 Mr Storrs fetched Eda, Sir Wm Garstin & myself & drove with us to the Bazaars where we went about in the carpet bazaar, the shoe & the scent bazaar only buying trifles. Sir Wm presented Eda & me with small flasks of otto of roses– From the bazaars we went to Mr Storrs’ house to have tea with him & to meet Kiamil Pasha the old Turkish statesman whom I had known at Constantinople. He is over 80 & very pale & feeble & his voice not strong. He did not speak much– We spoke sometimes in English & sometimes in French. He asked me if I remembered Sultan Abdul Hamid. I assured him that I should never forget him & to feel gratitude for his kindness to me. We were also joined by an Egyptian Najib Pasha Melhame who is Govr of a Province—a much younger man than Kiamil. The German 1st secy also was there whom I had met at dinner here. This morning the body of the D. of Fife went off to Alexandria. Lord Kitchener went to the chapel at the barracks to see it removed to the train. My maid who went to see if from the barracks described it as a solemn little procession & was much touched by the playing of the Highland pipers lament wh was played. | |
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